INDW vs AUSW 2018: Mithali Raj Fit, Set to Play Second ODI

India Women’s ODI captain, Mithali Raj, seems to be fit for the second game against Australia, as she practised with the team on the eve of the second ODI.

Here is the clip –

#MithaliRaj smashing it in the nets, seems to have fully recovered from the viral fever that… https://t.co/l8K04wnCuF

— Snehal Pradhan (@SnehalPradhan) March 14, 2018

Mithali missed the opening game of the series due to the viral fever.

She did not attend the press conference on the eve of first ODI, but there was no confirmed news regarding her availability for the game.

When Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s T20I captain, came up for the toss, it was clear she was not fit to play the game.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who made her T20I debut during South Africa tour, replaced Mithali and made here ODI debut.

The ODI captain seems all set to replace the youngster. Her comeback will be a big boost for the side, which lost the first ODI by a big margin of eight wickets.

In her absence, the middle-order of the team crumbled, and India managed a total of 200.

Openers, Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut, provided a steady start and scored 38 runs in nine overs but the wicket of Mandhana scripted an epic fall-out.

In no time, team India was five down for 87 before losing two other wickets to be seven down for 113 in 31.4 overs

It was the eighth partnership between Sushma Verma and Pooja Vastrakar of 76 runs that saw India coming close to a score of 200.

Verma scored 41 while Vastrakar, a bowler playing her second ODI, scored 51 off 56. The only way India could have defended the small target was by taking early wickets, which was not the case.

Australian openers, Nicole Bolton and Alyssa Healy, provided a solid start by sharing 60 runs for the first wicket in 55 balls.

Skipper Meg Lanning kept the scoreboard ticking after Healy’s dismissal and shared 68 runs for the second wicket.

Riding on an inning of 100* off 101 from Bolton, Australia went past the target in just 32.1 overs to go one up in the series. A win the second game would seal the series for the visitors.

The Mithai Raj-led team will have to win the second ODI to keep the series alive. Australia are expected to go with the winning combination while in the Indian camp, the comeback of Mithali in playing XI might be the only change.

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